Sleeping commuters caught out in Croydon

Almost a fifth of commuters admit to missing their station after falling asleep, according to a new survey by train company Southern.

However, the same research showed that one in 10 commuters deliberately choose to travel by train so they can take cat naps.

Southern serves commuters travelling between Croydon and Central London. The survey also found that only three-fifths of respondents said they felt confident about how to get around in London’s complex suburban train network.

Alistair Buckle, a spokesperson for Southern, emphasised that this lack of confidence reflected the amount of choice in the capital.

He said: “It’s evident that some Londoners, especially those new to the city, can be somewhat overwhelmed by the transport network, and understandably so. London is a hive of activity and with the privilege of so many travel options between zones one and nine, it can also be confusing.”

New arrivals to the capital were shown to have less confidence using public transport than people who have lived here for more than five years. They were twice as likely to buy the wrong ticket and twice as likely to avoid overground trains altogether.